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Dec 1, 2007 8:57 pm US/Central
Snow Storm Brings Slow And Slippery Roads
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ―
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The average snowfall for this time of year is 10 inches.
Photo From Colter Ostrowski
It took until December, but fans of winter sports in Minnesota finally got what they were waiting for.
The first major winter storm moved into the state from the west Saturday morning and quickly spread across much of the rest of Minnesota. By evening, Duluth had received nearly 8 inches of snow and Two Harbors had 7 inches. The heaviest snowfall was reported in northeastern and east-central Minnesota, where Tamarack in Aitkin County also reported 7 inches.
In the Twin Cities area, Forest Lake reported 6.5 inches and St. Paul had nearly 6 inches by 7 p.m., the National Weather Service said. But earlier predictions of up to 10 inches in the Twin Cities were downgraded to between 5 inches and 8 inches as snow turned to sleet and freezing rain.
"We did throttle back a little on the snowfall amounts," said NWS meteorologist Tony Zaleski.
The Weather Service reported accumulations of 5-6 inches in many areas throughout the state, including Donnelly, Red Wing, Mankato, Hastings, Albany and Glencoe, with as much as 16 inches expected in parts of east-central and northeastern Minnesota before the storm passes.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported difficult driving conditions by midday across many parts of the state, stretching from south to north and west to east, including the Twin Cities. Interstate 94 between the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul was moving very slowly.
The snow was mixing with sleet along the Interstate 90 corridor across southern Minnesota. Visibilities were down to a quarter mile in some areas due to winds gusting in the 20 mph range.
MnDOT reported 137 traffic accidents statewide between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. including 88 in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries.
State Patrol Lt. Tom Schmitz said the best driving plan in this kind of storm is none.
"Obviously, we'd like to see them stay home, but if you do have to have to travel, don't put your schedule before safety," he said.
Schmitz advised drivers to take commonsense steps such as reducing speed, using headlights and seat belts and leaving plenty of room between vehicles.
"Just because it says 70 (mph) out there, if the weather conditions aren't favorable, don't drive that fast," he said.
Forecasters started warning about the impending storm several days in advance, giving residents and officials plenty of time to prepare.
MnDOT had its plows were ready to roll from Albany to Zumbrota. The department has more than 800 snowplows at 150 stations throughout the state, including 18 stations in the Twin Cities area, and nearly 1,500 snowplow operators.
Twin Cities hardware stores put out plenty of shovels, sand and deicing salt.
The Federal Aviation Administration reporting no major weather delays at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, though the storm prompted the closure of the Des Moines International Airport for several hours after a United Airlines plane slid off a taxiway, and the FAA said delays for incoming traffic to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport were averaging over an hour.
Northwest Airlines said it would allow passengers planning to fly this weekend to rebook for a different date without penalty. The change applied to passengers flying to, from, or through Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Michigan on Saturday or Sunday. Passengers can rebook their travel for Nov. 30 to Dec. 4.
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